TWO PROSPECTIVE OWNERS COME FORWARD FOR SAN DIEGO'S IHL TEAM

     Two L.A.-based businessman have made a refundable deposit to
the IHL for an expansion team that would play next year in San
Diego.  Steve Perry and Howard Silber met with City Manager Jack
McGrory "for the third time in as many weeks and came away
cautiously optimistic." Silber said there "was a good chance the
IHL will be in San Diego next season."  The one "sticking point"
could be the city's unwillingness to guarantee an IHL franchise
the chance to play in the proposed new arena downtown.  City
Mayor Susan Golding claims the city needs an NHL or NBA franchise
"as the anchor tenant" to make construction financially viable
(Trotter & Bloom, SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE, 3/16).